


Advent 19

by darksquall, lanapanda



Series: Science Boys Advent 2012 [8]
Category: Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: All the cuddles, Fluff, M/M, advent fic, fluff fluff fluff, interrupting Nick is interrupting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-16
Updated: 2012-12-16
Packaged: 2017-11-21 07:05:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/594868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darksquall/pseuds/darksquall, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanapanda/pseuds/lanapanda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asking Fury for a favour.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Advent 19

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The characters and places contained herein do not belong to me and I am making no money from this.
> 
> (Sorry we're a little late. RL happened, but we'll try and catch up asap!)

He was doing a little more work on the end of year reports for Pepper when Tony literally bounded into the office. It was not the first time that Tony had bounced in to interrupt him, his enthusiasm and the intense cheerfulness were almost always infectious and Bruce found it hard not to smile even as he finished the line of the report before looking up at his lover. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” Tony paused just inside the doorway, practically bouncing in place. He rocked on the balls of his feet, grinning broadly. “And how is the most gorgeous fiancé in the known universe this morning?”

“He’s bouncing into my office and being entirely too cheerful for…,” Bruce made a show of checking the clock on his desk. He couldn’t wear a wrist watch anymore, not since the accident. Well, he could but within a few weeks it’d go wrong. “9:45 am.”

Tony laughed, a bright, beautiful sound. “I do not bounce. And I would have to argue that although I am incredibly gorgeous, on the days that you shave and wear a suit, you are even more so. By at least eighteen percent…” his voice trailed off and he paused, tipping his head and giving Bruce one of his ‘I told you so’ looks. “Which has nothing to do with why I came in at all – see how distracting you are?”

“You totally bounce,” Bruce sat back in the chair, beckoning Tony closer. “Even more so these past few days – now what am I distracting you from?”

The effort to not bounce as he approached the desk was obviously quite daunting, and forgotten by the time Tony took the last few steps, as he went right back to it. He pulled a folded piece of paper out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket and opened it up before setting it down on top of the paperwork that Bruce had been looking through. “We are the official owners of one incredibly beautiful cabin in the woods. Now we don’t have to worry about paying a deposit on the rental, since it’s ours,” Tony grinned.

It was the deed to the cabin. Bruce surveyed the piece of paper, not prepared for the little thrill of happiness that it sent through his veins. This was... new. He'd never actually owned property - his parent’s house had been rented, his housing during his army research days had been part of the base, and after that he'd never had the time or inclination, or even the ability to settle down. His year out in India had been the longest he'd stayed in one place since the accident before he'd come to stay with Tony. Bruce touched the paper lightly, as though if he were anything but careful it would crumble away into nothingness.

It was real. He and Tony owned property together.

Somehow this was different to everything else he'd shared with Tony. It was different to seeing his clothes in the closet hanging next to Tony's or having his own space in Tony's private laboratories and workshops. It was even different to having the paperwork to prove that legally and above all else he was Tony's partner. This was something that they had picked. This was something solid and real that he couldn't run away from anymore. It was... it was roots. It was something that, even after settling down with Tony and staying all those days and weeks and months, he'd thought he'd never actually have.

Bruce stood up, looking from the paper to Tony, grinning broadly and leaning across the desk to steal a kiss. "I can't believe it."

"Mmmm," Tony hummed contentedly against Bruce's lips, his fingers sliding through Bruce's hair to tangle in his curls. "I told you, this is going to be just fine. We've got a few options for caterers now too - JARVIS helped to narrow it down. We'll have to go and taste our way through the menu and we'll need to take some time to sneak out to the cabin to look it over, but my proxy and the property assessor both agree that the place is great and solidly built."

"I'll get the details from JARVIS about the caterers and talk to them about a tasting session if you want me to take that part on?" Bruce offered. He hadn't pulled away from Tony much, just enough to see his eyes while still keeping close. He had one hand on that deed, not wanting to let it go. He knew logically that it wouldn't disappear, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to keep hold of that reality and make sure of it for himself.

"That would be wonderful. We'll have this entire thing done and ready to go in no time. We also need to coordinate our calendars to be able to take a trip to look at our new cabin."

"Sounds perfect. Should I take care of the calendars too?"

Tony shook his head, "I can do that. But I have to go through Pepper for some of it, or else I'll just swap all the meetings into February sometime."

"I'll make sure she knows to keep you on the right path," Bruce stole another kiss, right across the desk.

"I thought you were taking over all Tony Stark discipline and wrangling duties?" Tony tipped his head, tracing his fingers lightly over Bruce's cheek. He could be so tender and gentle. Enough to make Bruce smile even in his darkest of moments.

"But in this case the temptation to encourage you to push all the meetings out might be too strong even for me."

"Encouragement is a form of discipline," Tony gave him a wicked look. He picked up the deed, rounding the desk to slip an arm comfortably around Bruce’s waist, pressing close to him. Even this early in the day, he couldn’t resist getting intimate and revelling in contact. He held up the paper between two fingers for Bruce and he took it gladly.

Roots. He had never even thought about it really – especially not since the accident – but it was the one thing he’d never had. And now here it was, folded up in his hand and he had something real and substantial with his lover. A potential life stretching out into the distance. “We can’t worry Pepper too much while planning this,” Bruce said, trying to return his thoughts to more immediate things.

“You really like the idea of us having our own place to retreat to for snowball fights on the weekend, don’t you? Maybe we should sneak off and get married there early?” Tony was grinning at him, teasing again.

“You don’t know,” Bruce said, lifting his head to meet Tony’s gaze. He felt like he couldn’t stop smiling – at least not any time soon. Even so, Tony knew more of his life between incidents than most people, knew of the darkest moments of his past and the worst of the things that he’d faced but the little details were always harder to discuss. Sometimes they were even harder to remember until something came out of left field, like your fiancé handing you a deed. “Of course not.”

Instantly Tony’s attention was completely focused, teasing long forgotten in favour of concern. “I don’t know what? What is it?”

“I’ve never owned property.”

“Oh!” Tony squeezed him tight, pulling up a virtual screen and selecting their calendars. He flicked through them side by side and tapped two days to block them out as being busy. “Next Friday and Saturday. We’ll take two days to go and see your new cabin. Our first home together.”

“Our new cabin,” Bruce corrected. It had been remarkably easy to start thinking of the tower as his home all in all. It had taken a couple of months to stop waking at every little noise, and only about a month to stop waking up every time that Tony shifted when they were in bed together, but he’d always felt safe there. Safe and welcome. “Sounds perfect, I can’t wait to see it.”

“It’s going to be great – and I think we’re ahead on all the wedding planning too,” Tony stayed right there, wanting to share in the moment, for Bruce to know he was close and happy and that Bruce was just as happy to have him close.

“Soon as we get the official sorted, I’ll be satisfied,” Bruce brushed his lips against Tony’s temple.

“This is the problem with not being religious,” Tony grumbled. He looked lost in thought for a moment, considering his options as always. Then he snapped his fingers. “Hey, do you think Fury could do it? I mean, ship captains can marry people, right?”

Bruce could tell that Tony was only half-joking. They were starting to get to the point of desperation in that regard. “I think that’s a myth but why not?”

“A myth? Mythical marrying captains?”

“Yes, and I am slowly realising we are friends with a god but I think it’s still a myth.”

“You know what, I’ll just call and ask him. Fury I mean. Not Thor. Still no word on where he is.”

“There’s still time for him to check in,” Bruce rubbed Tony’s back a little, soothing. He could already feel the tension beginning to build in his muscles. Arguably this was the most important part of their wedding, or at least one of the most important parts and it was the part that they really couldn’t fake paperwork wise, or otherwise. They had to be married legally, in a way that would stand up to any legal scrutiny in the future. It was easy enough to deal with problems in other areas like food and somewhere to get married, all the little things that were so easily solved, but in this one area…

“Yeah, I’m sure he’s just off doing whatever Norse gods do when they aren’t brushing their hair or drinking.”

“Fighting.”

“He does love fighting,” Tony mused. “Probably should set up some rules for that snowball fight.”

“Like a minimum safe distance and no weapons?”

“Sounds good,” Tony grinned and pulled out his phone to send a text. He tipped his head enough to rest against Bruce’s, another little comfort, a gentle little contact that was getting harder to resist in public. “Are you going to want to practice in the suit?”

“I probably should,” Bruce nodded. He’d never flown in the suit – though he’d found himself carried in Tony’s arms many times while he was wearing it – and he knew that if he were attacked by snowballs and out of control… well. “I don’t want any green issues.”

“We’ll take them with us when we go look at the place. You won’t have to fight. Just get used to flying around and having JARVIS right in your ear.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Bruce kissed Tony’s cheek gently.

“I’m looking forward to it too,” Tony half closed his eyes at the kiss, tipping his head for more of them. He had such incredibly long eyelashes, so thick and dark that women would sigh with jealousy at just the very sight of them. Bruce had worshipped every inch of his lover at one time or another, but Tony’s eyes remained one of Bruce’s favourite features. Whether they were wide in surprise – a rarity, really, very little surprised Tony Stark and he’d managed it more than most – or closed in pleasure and bliss, or anywhere in between. “Mostly I’m looking forward to teaching you how to fly.”

“There’s no sensation to compare with this,” Bruce quoted softly, trailing more little kisses along Tony’s jawline, the soft, smooth skin that smelt faintly of his cologne. Apples, cinnamon, mulled cider and warmth that had guided Bruce back to the world the few times that he’d had to change to protect the city and his lover. “Suspended animation, a state of bliss.”

“Nn,” Tony shivered beautifully, his eyes flickering completely closed as he leant against his lover a little more heavily. “Well, this is definitely a dream unthreatened by morning light, Bruce.”

Bruce wrapped both arms around Tony to support him, the deed still in his hand. “Yes, this couldn’t be a dream of mine. Too good.”

“It’s ours. Our dream. Better than anything we could come up with separately and with back up so it will hold together when things get… interesting,” Tony opened his eyes and smiled. Bruce still had hold of the deed, even though he didn’t realise it. It was more important to him than he could comprehend.

“I know. I’m just…” Bruce shook his head, trying to put his thoughts into words. It was always harder when it wasn’t something scientific. Or at least, something that he couldn’t put into scientific terms. Even if Tony had given him something perfectly beautiful and golden, he still felt as though he were waiting for the other boot somehow. As much as he was enjoying the build up, there was something he wanted more. Both because he wanted everything that it entailed and because he wanted to be sure that no one would ever be able to take it away from him. At least, no force outside their relationship. “I like anticipating it, but I really want to wake up holding you, knowing we’re married.”

Tony wrapped an arm around Bruce’s neck and kissed him, a deep, desperate kiss filled with longing and need after Bruce’s words. And Bruce kissed back, just as hungry, just as demanding and loving.

Of course, it was that precise moment that Tony’s phone rang.

Bruce groaned softly at the sound, letting Tony break the kiss. If Tony was breaking a kiss like that it would be an essential call. However Tony didn’t pull away immediately, just ducking his head to kiss Bruce’s throat before he straightened a little to answered the phone. “How’s my favourite sky pirate?”

“Very funny, Stark. Coulson said you needed to talk,” Commander Fury did not look amused. Bruce wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen Commander Fury look amused, and suddenly he wanted to know when the last time he’d seen Fury crack a smile had been.

Tony curled a hand in Bruce’s hair – his comfort and encouragement all rolled into one. “Yeah… first a question. He told you we’re getting married, right? You got your invitation?”

“You mean the glitter bomb that took out half the bridge? Yeah, I got it,” Fury paused and looked Tony straight in the eye. There were very few people who could appear threatening over Tony’s vid relay that he’d built into his phone, but somehow Fury managed to be one of those few. Natasha was one of the others. Neither of them had ever managed to make Tony wilt in the slightest though. “Congratulations. And I’m not letting you take over the helicarrier for your honeymoon.”

Bruce had to muffle his amusement against Tony’s hair. A small voice in the back of his head reminded him that he’d given Rhodey one of those invitations before he’d be dealing with homeland security – or worse, base security – but it was well known that Rhodey was friends with Tony Stark and odd little things like that would happen. It came with the territory.

Tony held no such qualms about the things he found funny. He laughed aloud. A bright, vibrant sound that Bruce had never been able to prevent himself from smiling in response to. “It didn’t take out half the bridge, did it? Seriously? I want pictures. No, wait,” Tony shook his head – priorities feeding back into his thoughts even over the result of a minor prank, Bruce knew he had it bad when that happened. “I had something important to ask you and it wasn’t about honeymooning on the helicarrier, but I appreciate the fact that you gave it your thoughtful consideration. What I was hoping actually, is that you can either perform the ceremony or can nab someone who can. Captains do that, right?”

The very fact that Tony was talking a mile a minute gave away how excited he was. Bruce managed to look up just in time to see Fury’s eye narrow on Tony. “Stark... allow me to quote the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 32, Subtitle A, Chapter VI, Subchapter A, Part 700, Subpart G, Rule 716, also known as 32 CFR 700.716): _Hell_ no, I can’t perform a wedding. But I can locate someone who will.”

“You know I’m going to cross reference that to see if it really says hell no,” Bruce said, tipping the phone just enough that Commander Fury would be able to see his face too. Of course, if it didn’t say that, one of the wedding favours would be to make sure that in future that particular title would definitely say Hell no. In bold italics, and would be underlined to boot. Tony had devolved into snickers and was doing his best to at least try to quiet them this time.

“Nice to speak with you again, Doctor,” Fury nodded in greeting. “I take it you’re 100% on board with these shenanigans?”

“Completely, utterly,” he paused, raising an eyebrow at the image of Fury on the projection. “Starting to wonder why so many people ask that though.”

“Because out of the two of you, Stark is not the one that the betting pool said would propose. In any case, I’m happy for both of you. Tony is a good man. Smart. Resourceful. Which is why I have a unit on standby, in case he gets cold feet and tries to disappear.”

Bruce was pretty sure that this was Fury teasing. After all, everyone would have had more sense than to suggest Tony was anything but glorious to someone of Bruce’s temperament and issues. “Perhaps you could remind any winners of said betting pool that charitable donations make me feel much less green?” he requested, smiling sweetly the whole time. He suspected others would be able to see the call, if not on the bridge then through monitoring of communications and the show was more for them really. “Tony won’t get cold feet. He’s entirely too stubborn.”

“I’ll pass the message along,” Fury chuckled and half-grinned. That was better. “And I’ll let you know who I come up with for the ceremony. Non-denominational, correct?”

“Correct,” Bruce nudged Tony. He’d had enough time to get over the giggles.

“Yeah,” Tony cleared his throat, glancing at Bruce briefly and winking. “No need to grab a Catholic or anything. Thanks, Fury.”

“You can thank me by staying on the team even after the wedded bliss thing.”

“After the honeymoon,” Bruce said firmly.

“Definitely after the honeymoon,” Tony agreed, grinning right at his fiancé. Fury had been forgotten for the moment, in favour of much more private and romantic thoughts.

“Uh-huh. I hear the sound of unnecessary details forthcoming, so I’ll leave you two lovebirds to deal with that on your own. Be safe,” Fury nodded again and rang off before either of them had a chance to respond.

The phone folded away and Tony tucked it back into his pocket. “Damn, our sex life is better than I thought,” Bruce mused.

“It is?”

“Fury agreed with us,” Bruce shrugged, and Tony dissolved into laughter again. “Then he fled. We need to remember this trick.”

“Well, I was going to kiss you, but I got distracted by you making me laugh.”

“We can get into the SHIELD database and change that regulation, right? I’m pretty sure their handbook could do with some more hells,” Bruce hummed thoughtfully. He was sure he could at least program an algorithm to rewrite the SHIELD handbook – if not the federal regulations – in a much more Nick Fury manner. It’d make a hell of a read.

“Oh I’m sure we can,” Tony gave him an almost feral grin, all wickedness and encouragement. Bruce was sure that Tony was the source of all his mischievousness. Funnily enough, he didn’t care a bit, he loved how much they could share, from the lab to the little pranks.

“As long as he comes through, everything else we can fake.

“It’s Fury, he’ll come through.”

Bruce believed his lover of course, and he did believe that Fury would find someone, no matter what. He had to keep his consultant happy, and it was always wise to keep Bruce Banner in a good mood, but besides that, he was a good guy generally. As long as the fate of the country or world wasn’t at stake to require lies and deception. “I think we have some work to do, then.”

“Yes… but can we do it after we get the deed framed for your office?” Tony asked softly, looking up at him with those gentle deep brown eyes, and a hopeful expression.

“Really?” Bruce asked, looking at the paper in his hand. Finally he realised he’d never actually set it down from that moment he’d first held it.

“Really. This is our first house together, and it’s special.”

“I guess…,” Bruce started, then paused. He felt an odd prickle of tears in his eyes and he had to shake his head to will it away. “I guess I finally feel like I have roots with you.”

“You’ll always have a home wherever I am, Bruce,” Tony took Bruce’s hand and tangled his fingers with Bruce’s. Gentle, reassuring, and above all else, contact. A way of remaining grounded with the one he loved.

“Yeah, but you know why this all feels solid now.”

Tony nodded, his gaze never faltering even for a moment. “I do,” he said. The words were deliberately chosen, a future echo of what was to come, of the life they had to build together no matter what else the days, weeks, months, and years together might bring. Two little words that filled Bruce’s heart with more hope and longing than he’d ever thought possible.

He didn’t reply, he just pulled Tony into another kiss and revelled in that. In the pleasure and the satisfaction, and the knowledge that he was finally understood.


End file.
